Transparent container



United States Patent. w

TRANSPARENT CONTAINER Nicholas Krueger, Sr., Wood-Ridge, and Samuel Kolodny, Rutherford, NJ., assignors to East Rutherford Syringes,

Inc., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 13, 1957, Ser. No. 683,863

2 Claims. (Cl. 20643) This invention relates to transparent containers, and more specifically, concerns containers for rigid, elongated articles such as hypodermic syringes and the like.

Rigid articles such as hypodermic syringes, thermometers, small instruments and the like are packaged in paperboard containers. Such containers require printing or labeling on the exterior thereof in order to properly identify the contents of the container. Furthermore, such containers may require partition or support means for the article to be packaged, which may add substantially to the cost of making the containers.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved container for articles wherein the same comprises a base and a transparent cover whereby the contents of the container may be readily seen and identified, eliminating the need for labeling or printing; the container; the base including improved means for gripping the container contents.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved container of the character described, including a base member formed of a flexible, resilient synthetic resin and a dished, somewhat rigid cover formed of a transparent synthetic resin; the base member including integral article supports for releasably gripping the contents of the container. and having means for retaining the supports against undue deflection at the time the container contents is engaged with the supports.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved container for elongated articles such as. hypodermic syringes, thermometers or the like, and including a flexible, somewhat resilient base and a dished, transthe article in the container, the base including integral, upstanding article supports formed with article gripping slots, the supports being somewhat flexible and being restrained against lateral deflection.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a container of the character described wherein the base is adapted to positively grip a hypodermic syringe with the piston thereof partially withdrawn from the barrel to prevent accidental breakage of the piston-barrel assembly due to impact of the inner end of the piston relative to the bottom end of the barrel; and further, to carry at least one syringe needle for use with the syringe.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved two piece container for articles wherein each part is molded from synthetic plastic to provide all necessary elements in integrated form, thereby materially reducing the manufacturing costs, and eliminating the need for labeling or printing operations.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing Fig. l is a top plan view of a container embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

2,955,705 Patented Oct. 11, 1960 Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a tranverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the container showing a hypodermic syringe and syringe needle in place.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 designates a container embodying the invention. The same is shown as adapted to carry'an elongated article such as a hypodermic syringe S which includes the usual glass barrel B, a glass piston P slidably inserted in the barrel, and a metalLuer-lock tip T at the end of the barrel.

The container 10 comprises a fiat, rectangular shaped base 11 and a dished, transparent cover 12 associated with said base 11. The base 11 is molded of a synthetic, somewhat flexible plastic such as polyethylene or the like. The base 11 comprises a rectangular shaped, flat bottom wall 11a having side edges 13 and end edges 14,.14a. On the marginal portions of wall 12 is an upstanding, shallow peripheral flange 16 having side portions 17 and'end portion 18, 19; said flange being located inwardly of wall edges 13, 14, 14a to form a peripheral seat 20.

Means is provided for resiliently and releasably gripping the syringe S. To this end, bottom wall 11a has a pair of transversely disposed, longitudinally spaced.

barrel gripping, walled supports 21, 22 molded integrally with said bottom wall and upstanding therefrom. Supports 21, 22 are of generally rectangular shape and are formed parent cover having a degree of rigidity for protecting with aligned, part cylindrical slots 23 having a diameter slightly smaller than the outside diameter of barrel B. Theopposed endportions 24 of supports 21, 22 have a spacing less than the diameter of slots 23, thereby allowing the syringe barrel B to be snapped downwardly into slots 23, the end portions being resiliently displaced and then moving toward each other to resiliently grip the barrel B.

The barrel supports 21, 22 have vertical side edges 25 which at their lower ends abut the inner surface of side flange portions 17 and are integrated therewith as at 26. Thus, the supports 21, 22 are firmly anchored to bottom wall 12 and flange portions 17, thereby retainingjsaid supports against undue lateral deflection when syringe barrel B is snapped into place on the supports. j Supports 21, 22 are suitably spaced intertion to avoid accidental breakage of the syringe due to impact of the lower end of the piston with respect to the lower end of the barrel.

To this end, a walled piston support 27 is molded integrally with bottom wall 11a in upstanding relation thereto; said support 27 being located between flange end 18 and barrel support 21 and having a part cylindrical slot 23a aligned with slots 23 in supports 21, 22. When syringe S has its barrel B snapped into place on supports 21, 22, the neck portion A of piston P is snapped into slot 23a of support 27.

Piston support 27 is narrower in width than supports 21, 22, leaving the side edges 28 thereof in spaced relation to opposed portions of side flanges 17. To prevent undue deflection of the upstanding support 27 when piston P is snapped into place, a rib 29 is molded on bottom wall 11a integrally therewith and upstanding of rib 29 underlies and supports a longitudinal surface portion of piston neck A.

The cover 12 is molded of a transparent synthetic resin such as polystyrene, cellulose acetate or the like and has a degree of rigidity which affords protection to the contents of container 10. Cover 12 is of rectangular shape with a top wall 30 and side walls 31 and 'end walls 32 depending therefrom. When cover 12 is associated with base 11, the bottom edges of walls 31, 32 are received on seat 20 of base 11.

Means is provided for releasably locking cover 12 to base 11. To this end, side flanges 17 have longitudinally spaced upstanding projections 33 which are formed on their outer surfaces with outwardly projecting shallow ribs 34. Cover 12 is formed on the inner surface of side walls 31 with recesses 35 for receiving ribs 34. Base 11 is formed with an integral tab 36 projecting from edge 14 thereof to facilitate the separation of cover 12 from the base.

Provision is also made for carrying several syringe needles N in container 10. Accordingly, there is molded with bottom wall 11a an integral, upstanding needle support wall 37 located adjacent flange end 19. Wall 37 has the lower ends of its side edges abutting and integrated with side flanges 17, as at 38. Wall 37 is formed with a pair of laterally spaced apart cylindrical slots 39 for receiving and gripping the hub portions H of needles N. The cannular portion of the needles N is supported on upstanding posts 40 molded with wall 11a and formed with grooves 41 to receive said cannular portions. The slots 39 are laterally displaced with respect to slots 23 on barrel supports 21, 22, to locate needles N on either side of syringe barrel B.

It will be apparent that syringe S and needles N may be quickly mounted on base 11 and cover 12 may be locked to said base to present a package which requires no labeling or printing since the packaged item is clearly visible through the cover 12 and showing the printed matter or indicia usually carried by such item. The cover 12 may be easily removed from base 11 to expose the contents by grasping the cover with one hand and moving tab 36 downwardly away from the cover to eflect separation of the cover from the base.

It is understood that items other than syringes may be packaged in container 10, the slots in the walled supports being modified in terms of the surface contours of such items.

As various changes might be made in the embodiment of the invention as herein shown without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter shown or described herein is illustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus disclosed our invention, we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

1. A syringe package including a container and a single hypodermic syringe including a barrel and a piston having a neck portion, said container comprising a flexible, fiat, rectangular synthetic resin base having an upstanding, shallow peripheral flange at the marginal edges thereof, and a substantially rigid, dished transparent cover for said base, said base having at least two thin- Walled, flexible syringe barrel supports upstanding there: from in longitudinal spaced arrangement, said supports being formed with part cylindrical, aligned slots releasably gripping the syringe barrel, said supports having vertical side edges projecting above said flange with the ends thereof abutting and integrated with opposed portions of said flange at the side edges of said base, upstanding projections on the side edge portions of said flange, interengageable members on the lower edge portions of said cover and said upstanding projections for releasably locking said cover to said base, a flexible piston support upstanding from said base and longitudinally spaced from said barrel supports, said piston support being formed with a part cylindrical slot aligned with the slots in said barrel support, resiliently gripping the neck portion of the syringe piston, said piston support having vertical side edges spaced inwardly of opposed portions of said flange, and a rib upstanding from said base, integral at one end thereof with said piston support to resist deflection of said piston support from the vertical.

2. A package as in claim 1 including a hypodermic needle, said container base further including at least one support for said hypodermic needle, said hypodermic needle having cannula and hub portions, said one support upstanding from said base and being formed with a slot resiliently gripping the hub portion of said needle, said one support having side edge portions with the lower ends thereof integral with opposed portions of said flange, the slot in said one support being in ofl-center relation to the slots in said barrel supports, whereby to locate said needle to one side of said syringe barrel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 600,002 Havell Mar. 1, 1898 1,980,141 Macgregor Nov. 6, 1934 2,563,157 Castelli Aug. 7, 1951 2,651,407 Blackman Sept. 8, 1953 2,720,969 Kendall Oct. 18, 1.955 2,844,244 Hanson July 22, 1958 

